Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Shanghai Masters in inexplicable fashion earlier today, losing in straight sets to Zizou Bergs.
It marked the continuation of a very poor run of form for the 23-year-old at this particular event, having still never made it past the quarter-finals.
The back end of the tennis season has been a longstanding issue for Carlos Alcaraz for pretty much his entire career, having usually poured so much effort into the four Grand Slams and all that comes in between that it’s left him empty.
However, having spent the best part of five months out injured, missing two majors, many predicted that this season might mark an opportunity to buck that trend, particularly with Jannik Sinner having ended his campaign early due to injury.
Alas, the Shanghai Masters title has continued to elude him, and speaking to the press afterwards, Alcaraz had some choice words about the unruly conditions at this tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz calls for Shanghai Masters to address ‘weird’ conditions changes
Just days after Taylor Fritz complained about the tennis balls in Shanghai, Alcaraz was heard making the same point during his loss today.
However, asked about the conditions in general, with a great focus on the court, the Spaniard actually noted the huge variance between his first and second matches.
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Told that Novak Djokovic had branded the court as ‘way too fast’ this year, Alcaraz responded by noting: “To be honest, I just felt the first round it was really, well, it was fast. Today I didn’t feel the same way. So, it’s weird that in just two days it can feel that I can feel the court, feel the conditions, way different.
“Obviously, the first round I played with the roof closed. Today I played outdoors. Yeah, I felt different. I felt the first round it was really quick. Today the ball was bigger, and it was a little bit slower. I don’t know why. It’s something weird, and something that they have to look after.”
Alcaraz had said he liked the faster courts in Shanghai a few days ago, but admitted that his level simply wasn’t good enough today.
He added: “Well, I would say everything. To be honest, I didn’t play the way that I wanted to play; a lot of mistakes. I didn’t find a good position on the return. For example, I was returning pretty well. Today I didn’t find a good one. Obviously, credit to him. I would say he serves really, really well.
“But, you know, when I got into the rhythm, when I got into the point, I made a lot of mistakes. I wasn’t feeling comfortable with the shots. So, I’m really disappointed from today’s match, because I didn’t find the solution. I would say I just made a lot of unforced errors.”
Alcaraz will now head to the Paris Masters, hoping to enjoy a better result there than he did last year. There, he was beaten by Cameron Norrie in the very first round.
